You've got to be kidding

as many of you know, since college I have been teaching. I began my glorious career as a banner earning, district winning, middle school volleyball coach in a very wealthy suburb of Dallas. . .Desoto, Texas. from there I decided to retire from coaching and try my hand at elementary science in the great Dallas public school system.
hmmmmm, for those that were there during the transition year, there is a special spot in heaven for you. thanks!
since then, I have regained my sanity and have been able to regain my position as a kinesiologist pedagogue (that's french for pe teacher), still at the same school in Dallas. but, rather than seeing only about 100 6th graders, I now see all 600 students, from kindergarten to 6th grade.
as I began the school year in september, I looked forward to being back in my element, playing games, being loud, and best of all getting to wear shorts and sweatshirts and running shoes. that is until things got in to full swing. . . .in my 6 years of teaching, I have never had to take a sick day for being "sick". I can remember one day in high school when I had a really bad ear infection, but other than that, nothing.
this year alone (and by year I mean september until now) I have had ringworm, flu, sinus infection, and pinkeye! I guess since i've always been around big kids who don't want much from their teachers, especially not hugs, I was a low risk for communicable diseases. now that I have little kids all over me, i'm a walking billboard for the cdc.
what's my point? well, I could keep every child I encounter at arm's length and show no affection. I could continue hugging everything but the trees and risk taxing my immune system. I have chosen the hugs. see, I feel very blessed with the family and friends I grew up with. some of my kids, I don't know if they hugged at home or not. to think that I could be the only hug these kids get, well, let's just say pinkeye or not I would get very teary. so, I 'll risk getting all sorts of stuff, lice, unknown rashes, worms. . . bring 'em on. I hope you will too. just keep plenty of antibiotics on hand at all times.

my turn

as i sit in our dark hallway, waiting for thing 1 to fall asleep, i figure i'll try this blog thing. i mean if mark cuban can have one. . . right?
oh, why the dark hallway you ask? well, right now we are in the fun stages of transitioning thing1 from a crib to a big boy bed.
good times!! we've tried supernanny, nanny 911, dr phil, dr dobson, dr. ferber, and dr. seuss. zilch! so until we get the skills napolean dynamite speaks so much about, we are relegated to taking turns sitting in the dark hallway outside his room until he falls asleep. usually an hour or more later. thank you tivo!
thus the blogger. it keeps us busy, and it can be done sans light or noise. i guess i could have also taken up knitting? sand painting?